Making of a Missionary
000I have been thinking of a slogan that should fit for missionary “recruitment”: Be All You Never Planned to Be—Be A Missionary Overseas! I mean you are pastor/teacher, prophet (pushing their destiny like Israel’s of old), evangelist of the Gospel, doctor, professor, spiritual version of Dear Abby, groundskeeper, farmer, school superintendent, maid and chief cook at times, chauffer, director of a nonprofit, chef of the quartier for water/electric problems, and mom to everyone including those in their 40’s! I think I’ve covered most—but I am still not enough like the apostle Paul, though!
000As a farmer, my chickens, garden (7 plat bands now) are doing fine. The five chickens lay a flat of 30 eggs plus a week and I bought 15 baby chickens so the boys can learn another part of the project. What is scary is I seem to know it all pretty well now. Even read the book for a chicken that wanted to nest babies kept sitting and not laying. Followed the directions and she’s laying again!!! One of the babies got sick (boys can identify several illnesses by sight) and we gave the antibiotic. (Since I wrote this a terrible chicken virus hit which we think is gumboro and killed all the chicks but three in 24 hours—a tough lesson for boys. We may start again in May. Chicks are $1.50-2.00 each.)We’ve eaten spinach, bitekiteku, and mitembele out of the garden since December and now they are going to seeds so we will have seeds to start again. My papaya tree is now 6 feet and has over 17 papayas (I sent a photo with my Eastercard). Everyone who comes on the grounds is amazed at how short the tree is and how many and large the fruit—I hope it is a symbol of what I am accomplishing with the boys because that fruit seems to grow slowly. Outsiders who know street children here pretty well seem to be amazed at their progress, so I praise God for that.
000Gave myself a perm. Yep, I am beautician too! When you have no running water, you have to prepare buckets of warm-hot water in advance. It took six five-gallon buckets of water and about an hour to boil enough water—to accomplish the task. At least my hair looks arranged again.
000Friday afternoons the Marines have a happy hour with their beer, cokes and hotdogs. The wife of the head guy bought me some chocolate chips and brown sugar so that I could make chocolate chip cookies for the boys (and mostly for me I think). Also made a batch of homemade fudge for Easter—Halleluia!
000My occasional Marine house visits have also put me in contact with other Americans both for some nice conversation/relaxation and some helpful contacts too. One defense attaché put me in touch with his boss and they are trying to help me get some furniture and some other supplies from their excess inventory and other sources. They already brought me a cafeteria table/benches, 10 sleeping bags, a box of office supplies and 2 boxes of books. Now, these boxes are almost 5 feet tall! Another friend, Dana Ward, he helped me get mosquito nets and assisted with contacts at the embassy for me to get a special tag for my car (I explain it next).
000I mentioned that I had been having serious police problems—not unusual but have spent over four hours at police stations not counting times pulled over to side of road. I was getting pretty maxed with frustration and the aggression was worsening. Our embassy has tried to deal with it, but you know politics!!! My son-in-law asked me to get a chauffeur. I have one part-time now. The BIG Miracle however is I got a blue tag—given to nonprofit groups working directly with embassies on projects (which I am not). However, the people I work with at Ministry of Foreign Affairs who also give me a free visa every year worth $700, offered the tag after they heard of all my problems (but the US ambassador had to approve). It is illegal to stop a car with this blue plate. I got the blue tag and it is really a miracle. How much I thank My God for this miracle and your prayers. Missionaries here 30 years have never been given this favor! The approval had to be verbal—basically agreeing to let me have the tag. I do not even know what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did/said to provide me the tag—very UNUSUAL because the embassies request the tags and not the reverse as it happened for me. I do know the woman in charge at Ministry of Foreign Affairs for DRC is a praying woman and was praying for a solution to help me! She even showed me the Bible passages she prayed for me. I have teamed with her ONG for one of the widows’ projects and the Bibles for her literacy program. Best reward for charity I have had in awhile! I also got to thank the US ambassador in person at the Marine house for his kindness for the verbal approval.
000It is so hot and humid. They are breaking records with days over 100 and humidity stays in the 90’s. It’s like living in the summer with the steam of a hot shower. I am constantly wet—rarely dry. Let’s say, it is not fun! My arms and feet are brown as toast—trying to protect the rest as SUV rays are 30 here.
000Dana Ward works for a nonprofit and has access to a large jeep with enough seats for me, staff and the boys. He took us to the Bonobo sanctuary. The bonobo is between a monkey and a chimpanzee although it looks a lot like achimp. Their genetic makeup is very close to human makeup. It was fun to see them in the wilds! They have fenced off several acres (more than 40) for them in their natural habitat and they are studied that way. They come to a certain fence for feeding. Some of the babies are housed and given bottles in a small hospital for part of the research. They even wear diapers—I think for the protection of the workers. Pretty cute creatures. They are matriarchal and one bonobo and I got into a mimicking match—she leading! She made some pretty crazy sounds and faces. It was pretty funny and I was fascinated. (Shows the profound cultural acclimation I hold). They swing from immensely high trees perhaps 3-4 stories high and freefall to other branches. It was really entertaining. Tarzan has nothin’ on these guys! Photos coming soon!
000 Dana is going took us all out to another area about 15 miles outside of town. There is some land I am interested in as the other never went through. Never could get a clear title. We had a picnic there with everyone once before. There is a small river and the boys loved it. We are going to do the same thing again Saturday but also include baptism for the boys. They have never been baptized. I wanted to take advantage of the big jeep again. Dana’s job is taking him to Afghanistan next week for a new assignment. He’s been a great friend to all of us and will be missed. He’s brought the boys a monopoly set and 2 sets of boxing gloves with face masks. He’s taken me to dinner 3 times for a nice break and something I would never spend money on. I did not know there were a couple of nice places to eat here!
000Easter was really nice here at David’s House of Refuge. We had services all 4 days—Thursday to Easter. I brought musicians in so the services were really nice. Since we have 2 palm trees on the property, we had lots of fresh palm branches. I sent a photo with the Easter card of some of the designs the boys made with their palm branches. I mean we have full branches not a single palm leaf like in the states! They are green too like in Israel. I went to five stores to find food colors. So we got to color Easter eggs too. I found white eggs but had to pay $5/flat. We all had fun and the boys and adults were completely fascinated. They had never seen or heard of the custom. I was right in the middle of a “culture crossing”!
PROJECTS UPDATE:
MRD (Maison de Refuge de David—David’s House of Refuge)
000Things are going well even if a little pressed right now. I am giving Christelle a block of free time as she has been here a year and that leaves even more stress. She got behind on several reports—just very simple ones and has not recorded any grades for the boys for three months. Lots of catch-up which adds to the challenges right now. I have fairly good workers they just do not want responsibility and want to do minimums and draw pay. I have gotten tougher and determined to let some go if no change. They just need constant lists and repetitions. They don’t like doing things “your way”. I think taking directions from a woman in this Congolese culture is a REAL Issue which has increased my stress! They don’t know what to do or how to do it but they don’t like me telling them either……Living in the same place is harder on me but easier for them and keeps things from being destroyed and MUCH stability for the boys.
000Boys are great—all excited about celebrating their birthday which we will do at the time of their Baptism this weekend. I will have photos too. I separated the big boys. One of my better former workers was available and he is single, 28 yrs. old and accepted to take in 3-4 boys ages 13-15. I moved the boys over and things are going more smoothly. He lives a 45-minute walk from our big home. The boys come here for church service and their studies. For now I have some sleeping bags which the Defense Dept. gave (nice military ones with the mat that goes under it). I have several more on a waiting list and I have lined up another young man 30, who was a good student of mine to take another group as soon as we get a home found. I pay the rent for each ($20- 60/month) and a fixed amount for food/supplies. I set them up a budget and provide all initial supplies for the home. May things they have or I have stored and saved as I found good deals—or go asking! Total boys right now is 15 but not for long. I got contacted to take some other small boys too. I just want to get through this difficult season with Christelle and documents before I move on.
000I was given money last year and finally was able to buy and install a large cistern with a motor. Work is still being finished as I write. Photo will follow! It holds 200 gallons of water. It looks like a big black casserole 5 ft. tall! They are attaching pipe to the house with some of the rent money so I may actually have running water. Keep praying, as we aren’t there yet! Ha ha
Kitambo feeding project:
000Started another feeding site about thirty minutes from where I am with a woman I know. We are serving another 15 children and their moms who are 20 years old—one is a teen mom a direct result of the child soldier (they steal young girls to be their wife), then he died leaving 3 babies under 4. Another is a widow of the war with 5 children, also a teen mom and cannot even write her name to sign in! You just do not have to go far to see more and more of hell in this world……………We provide a meal 4 times a week right now and some medical care—resources are limited—I have to do more in this area soon.
Widow organizations:
000I partner with two nonprofits we call ONG’s specifically targeting widows and women in desperate conditions. I know the two presidents well. One is directing the Kitambo feeding project and CRVF has provided 15 Bibles for their graduating women who can read and write Lingala in their Literacy program. The other nonprofit I have given 6 French Bibles and we are in the second year of a credit program for a few women to start a small business (like selling salt fish). I started with 10 last year and all but one returned their money. I chose three most successful who used their profits for their children’s schooling and gave money for them to expand and money for 7 more women to start. It is a small start but it is a start. I hope to find resources to expand this too. Problem is I have to be so “hands on” with these folks, it takes so long sometimes to delegate and to move on. I have enough work here if anyone wants to come and help for 4-6 months!
Training seminar:
000I have been asked to do a regional seminar with another ONG training caretakers of children. I will teach three evenings in April for 3 hours each. My topics are discipline, didactic materials and how to approach training children. I really enjoy teaching. This also is a big part of the vision of CRVF—hoping to train trainers in the future.
Proposals and UN project:
000I have made some wonderful Indian friends and they know someone who may help me with funds. They asked me to write a proposal this week for one of their family members to take to this businessman in South Africa. That is one request. I particularly need administration and expansion funds. All monies have been in the Home primarily. My attorney helping me with the contract, has contacts and is working on a project for the UN. They have told me to write proposals for the extensions of the Home for the big boys and also for the teen mom project I need to start. I say “need” because the Holy Spirit clearly showed me two weeks ago I was to do something for young women—I got a deep burden for them and their futures and the conditions of the culture and wept very hard for a period of time.
000That is all for now except to say, you are daily in our prayers and trust we are in yours. Much love to all.000MOM/Theresa
